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For the last several months, gossip in the high society of Windt Terminal has focussed around the dashing figure of Anders Yemantov, commercial head of BrightLeaf Holdings plc, second son of Baroness Jamelka Yermantov, and the most eligible bachelor for three systems. Despite the attentions of many of the area's greatest beauties, Anders has managed to be unfailingly charming, but resolute in not attaching himself to any of them.

Now Deanna Heath, heir to the Heath family fortune and rumoured to be the brains behind many of the family firm's most profitable new products, has taken an interest. Her pursuit of Anders' attentions has led to an escalating gift war as she seeks to prove her culture, brains and wealth. This challenge has now spread beyond the system, as she's issued a very particular shopping list. To aid in the speed of supply, this is where Deanna has requested the aid of the Buckyball Racing Club.

Buckyball Racing Club presents My True Love Sent To Me, a race to get the right collection of rare goods back to Windt Terminal in time for an amazing party early in the new year.

The Race

The race starts and finishes at Windt Terminal in the Q1 Eridani system.

The race is then to purchase, and return to Windt Terminal with, the following:

12 x Karsuki Locusts (from West Market, Karsuki Ti)

11 x Nguna Modern Antiques (from Biggle Hub, Nguna)

10 x Tauri Chimes (from Porta, 39 Tauri)

9 x Eden Apples of Aerial (from Andrade Legacy, Aerial)

8 x Damna Caparaces (from Nemere Market, Damna)

7 x Arouca Conventual Sweets (from Shipton Orbital, Arouca)

6 x Rapa Bao Snake Skins (from Flagg Gateway, Rapa Bao)

5 x Momus Bog Spaniel (from Tartarus Point, Momus Reach)

4 x Ethgreze Tea Buds (from Bloch Station, Ethgreze)

3 x Helvetitj Pearls (from Friend Orbital, Helvetitj)

2 x Giant Verrix (from Greeboski's Outpost, Phiagre)

1 x Kinago Violin (from Fozard Ring, Kinago)

The race starts at 00:00 GMT on 25 December 3301, and finishes at 23:59 GMT on 6 January 3302. Entries can be made in any ship, at any time during that window, but you must cross the finish line by 23:59:59 on 6 January for your entry to count.

The Rules

The list above adds up to 78 tonnes of goods to collect, meaning that ships with fewer than 78 tonnes of cargo capacity will have to make multiple returns to Windt Terminal. Race entries will thus be split into four classes according to the cargo capacity of your vessel:

Albatross class: cargo capacity 78 tonnes plus

Buzzard class: cargo capacity 40-76 tonnes

Falcon class: cargo capacity 20-38 tonnes

Wren class: cargo capacity <20 tonnes

I realise there will be a small amount of luck here around spawns of the rare goods at each station. While the items you have to collect more of are those with the higher allocations, the allocations only go up to 18 tonnes, so plan your route around the fact that you might have to wait (or return) for more of some items.

All of the rare goods in this event should be legal everywhere.

As normal, screenshots will be required as proof of your race. Screenshots will be required for the following (see the How to Enter page of the Buckyball Racing Club website for examples of what the screenshots should look like and show):

Outfitting (key here is to show your cargo capacity as that determines your entry class)

Launch from Windt Terminal

A screenshot at each waypoint showing the purchase of the required goods (this can just be done with a single screenshot of the commodities screen immediately after purchase, as it shows time, location and the quantity in your hold)

If you return to Windt Terminal for intermediate stops, screenshots showing you there with the goods from that leg (i.e. commodities screenshot showing all the items you brought back this time) - but see note below on breaks

Touchdown at Windt Terminal at the end of your run (you do also need to submit the commodities screenshot showing that the right items have been brought back to Windt Terminal, but the clock stops when you dock rather than when you finish selling items)

If you are recording your race on video, I recommend still taking screenshots at the start and finish to clearly show the start and end times. Otherwise, a video recording can take the place of all the intermediate screenshots.

As this is a long race, breaks are allowed under certain circumstances. The rules on breaks are:

Breaks can be taken at the start/finish line (Windt Terminal) or any of the waypoint stations.

Any number of breaks can be taken at Windt Terminal, but no more than six (6) breaks in total can be taken at other stations.

If taking a break, in addition to the normal commodities page screenshot, you should also take screenshots on landing (when the clock will stop - like a normal race end) and on departure (when the clock starts again - like a normal race start).

An additional 35 seconds will be added to your time for each break - this is to make up for the time you would normally take having the landing pad turn round, selling items, refuelling, etc.

FSD Injection is not allowed.

How to Enter

Get to Windt Terminal in the system of Q1 Eridani. Make repairs, fill with fuel, and ensure your ship is outfitted exactly how you want it for the race.

Open the Outfitting screen and capture a screenshot (F10) of your ship. Be sure to capture Power Plant, Thrusters, Frame Shift Drive and Power Distributor statistics as well as your ship's mass, and, of course, its cargo capacity.

Times won't be published during the week, only standings. When I update the board at the end of each day, those who have submitted an entry that day will be told how far they are behind the commander in front, and how far they are ahead of the commander behind.

Actual times will be revealed for the last day of the race.

What's the prize?

The sight of your name at the top of the leaderboard, and the opportunity to say you won a Buckyball Race.
Oh, and depending upon how Ceska's feeling, possibly the chance to get your very own mention on Radio Sidewinder

Can I use FSD Injection to increase my jump range?

No, the use of FSD Injection is not allowed in this race.

What's to stop me cheating?

Nothing. Like the Buckyball Runs, we operate on an honour basis here. There's nothing I can do to stop you from faking screenshots or using exploits. But where's the benefit in that? It wouldn't get you anything, except a lasting feeling of shame. This is all about doing the race for the fun of it.

I had to dock and get fuel. Does that count against my time?
I got interdicted. Does that count against my time?

Time waits for no-one, and neither does the race clock. It's all part of the race.

I would like to join but I can't make this week - will there be another race?
I enjoyed that, when's the next one?

Intent to race, though as usual I may try more than one type of ship:
CMDR name: Edelgard von Rhein
race class: Open
.
ship class: Albatross
ship type: Python
ship name: Beyond Twilight's Veil
.
ship class: Albatross
ship type: Lakon Type 6
ship name: Bento Beauty
.
ship class: Buzzard
ship type: Cobra Mk3
ship name: Null Geodesic
.
I like the idea of this race - I just hope the RNG thinks we've all been very good pilots this year and is willing to reward us! I stopped by Momus Reach recently and only got 1t of the rare there: I wouldn't want to have to visit it five times!
Quick question: are there any outposts amongst these stations? The Imperial Clipper and Anaconda could be two of the best ships for this race if every stop has a large pad.

There is a plan in the works, thanks to Jhyrryl, to put together a "re-broadcast" after the event, that will use submitted screenshots to re-create a combined race as if everybody set off at the same time. I'm really intrigued and looking forward to seeing what that comes out with.

If you would prefer your screenshots to NOT be used (and made public) for this, please let me know when you submit your entry.

There is a plan in the works, thanks to Jhyrryl, to put together a "re-broadcast" after the event, that will use submitted screenshots to re-create a combined race as if everybody set off at the same time. I'm really intrigued and looking forward to seeing what that comes out with.

If you would prefer your screenshots to NOT be used (and made public) for this, please let me know when you submit your entry.

I've got a spreadsheet that I can enter everyone's times into, which then cranks out JSON data that a Ruby program parses into race events. Those get dropped into a video editing thread with text-to-voice announcements (ship's computer style), leaderboards get updated in "real time", and then I splice in GalMap transitions and the screenshots. Once the race exists, I'll attempt a radio announcer styled voice-over to tie it all together. It should be done within a couple days of receiving the screenshots.

I've got a spreadsheet that I can enter everyone's times into, which then cranks out JSON data that a Ruby program parses into race events. Those get dropped into a video editing thread with text-to-voice announcements (ship's computer style), leaderboards get updated in "real time", and then I splice in GalMap transitions and the screenshots. Once the race exists, I'll attempt a radio announcer styled voice-over to tie it all together. It should be done within a couple days of receiving the screenshots.

This seems like the most suitable thread to wish everyone in the Buckyball Racing Club a very Merry Christmas.

Fly unsafe and very, very fast CMDRs! o7

Indeed. Merry Christmas, everyone.
I'll be sitting out of these for awhile; if all goes well, I should be back and going in mid-January. (I wasn't kidding when I said I needed to finish the A* run before Christmas.) If all doesn't go well, it may be February before I can regularly compete again. Basically, a frustrating wrinkle popped up in my research simulations, and guess what the two main uses of my desktop are?

Done a preliminary route plot (1377 LY, no breaks) and it looks like scooping might only be needed on one leg, assuming a weight optimised Asp with standard fuel tank. Will need to think more about the build later...